[Arian]

Hi, im buying my first bmw possibly this weekend. I have been talking to two guys and they are both selling their 2006 e90s for 11k. One of them is a 330xi and the other a 325i. What i'm torn about is the whole awd/rwd situation. Truly I want a 335i (badly!) but 11k is all i got. So the 330xi has 254hp and the 325i only 215hp. Should I go with more horsepower but awd or less hp but rwd (which i prefer). Both are 6spd manual tranny and are in equal condition.

P.S. found a 335i for 9k on craigslist (it says clean title but for that price sounds sketch) and I have emailed the guy a few hours ago but he hasn't responded, I don't know how long it usually takes people on craigslist to reply should I wait, and if so how long because i'm looking to buy a car tomorrow! Please help!!! Thanks!

[Taran.J]

Buying a BMW and being short on funds is not the right move. These cars are expensive to run and own.

Personally I'd advise you to buy a 2009-11 Toyota Corolla with low miles. Reliability and quality which you can get for a few grand cheaper too.

Hate to be that guy and say it but it's a smarter move now. Don't let that badge get the best of your decision.

[jb3617]

don't buy a bmw off of craigslist...youre just asking for trouble. and i would make sure you get a PPI done before you buy any of your friends cars. you dont want to be surprised with repair bills right off the bat.

if you really want a bmw i would wait until youre in a position to buy a newer used model. it will save yourself a lot of headaches and you wont regret owning it because of unforseen expensive repairs.

[xXSupa]

Don't spend all your money buying a BMW without warranty, unless if you can do mechanical work yourself. Once it starts breaking down, you'll be pretty much stuck.

I'm not 100% sure about the reliability of those two models, but you can always try getting the rwd 325 owner to drop the price a bit by showing him the awd 330 ad.

[Taran.J]

Originally Posted by Vegetable

You are really going to advise an obvious enthusiast short on funds to buy a Toyota Corolla? OP For 11 k I'd get a g35 or a 128i/ pre lci e9x 328i or maybe even VW GTI.. no need to buy the most boring vehicle in history just because you don't make bank.. GL

Hey I said I didn't want to be that guy but in hindsight people can't afford them then their stuck with a shit bucket sometimes worse than my recommendation.

Enthusiast or not, fiscal responsibility is something that need be taken seriously. That's all I'm pointing out.

G35 is also going to have a slew of issues, the 328 is newer than the 325's he's looking at 2006 model year E90's with the 325 and 330. The 128 is going to be too expensive not 11k for a clean one.

VW GTI may be the golden ticket here

[xXSupa]

Originally Posted by Taran.J

VW GTI may be the golden ticket here

Literally.

[M.Power]

I bought my car off Craigslist and it was owned by a nice gentlemen from the army who took meticulous care of it, guess I got lucky....

[stewey]

Bah! You should get a bmw if that's what you want. Definitely do a PPI though, that is good advice. You will probably end up spending $2-3k in maintenance over the next couple of years. Don't feel bad that you can't afford the 335. The maintenance costs are significantly higher.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy the 325 if you like the options it has. Does either one have the sport package? Rear wheel drive is more fun, lighter and has less to break. You can install the intake manifold from a 330 into a 325. That plus a tune will give you roughly the same HP as a 330.

Keep us posted!

[VTECaddict]

If what you truly want is a 335i, then save up for it. You will hate yourself for being impatient and getting a car you didn't really want.

[The0pportunist]

Some good comments above who clearly have your best interests at heart.

I'm 26 and i went from a e36 to e46 then finally to e90. When i got the e46 i could have cleared out my account and got a e90 but i chose not to because if it does go wrong i would have had to sell a kidney as the parts are more.

My advice would be get a e46 bro, it will cost you half the money and they are really fun cars to drive and work on. In a couple years time you can move to the newer shapes and get your dream 335..or m3..who knows.

[Swish]

Originally Posted by jb3617

don't buy a bmw off of craigslist...youre just asking for trouble. and i would make sure you get a PPI done before you buy any of your friends cars. you dont want to be surprised with repair bills right off the bat.

if you really want a bmw i would wait until youre in a position to buy a newer used model. it will save yourself a lot of headaches and you wont regret owning it because of unforseen expensive repairs.

I sold my 2006 330xi on Craigslist a couple week ago. I listed it @ 8 AM and had about 8 replies and sold it for cash at 3:30 that afternoon. My car was well-maintained and still in great shape, and the buyer is pleased.

[Swish]

Originally Posted by verse

Hi, im buying my first bmw possibly this weekend. I have been talking to two guys and they are both selling their 2006 e90s for 11k. One of them is a 330xi and the other a 325i. What i'm torn about is the whole awd/rwd situation. Truly I want a 335i (badly!) but 11k is all i got. So the 330xi has 254hp and the 325i only 215hp. Should I go with more horsepower but awd or less hp but rwd (which i prefer). Both are 6spd manual tranny and are in equal condition.

P.S. found a 335i for 9k on craigslist (it says clean title but for that price sounds sketch) and I have emailed the guy a few hours ago but he hasn't responded, I don't know how long it usually takes people on craigslist to reply should I wait, and if so how long because i'm looking to buy a car tomorrow! Please help!!! Thanks!

I just sold my '06 330xi (best car I ever owned) with 167,000 miles on the odometer. $11,000 sounds kind of high unless it has fairly low mileage.

[Nitrousbird]

If you ONLY have 11k:
- Car better be in good running order, with all maintenance and wear items up to date
- You better be able to work on the car yourself, and I'm talking real repairs and not just an oil change.
- You still should have 1k in reserve for parts. Period.

If you can't meet that 3 criteria above, don't do it.

[Delta0311]

If it is a high mileage BMW then right of the bat the following components will fail on you, probably within the first year, if they have not been replaced already.

Valve cover gasket= repair cost is between $700-$1k+
oil filter housing gasket = $400-$700
water pump and thermostat = $600-$1200

Find out if this was already done, if not then have cash on hand.

Honestly, you are better off getting a very low mileage civic or corolla as opposed to a BMW, which WILL have issues and wont be cheap to fix.

DO NOT BUY A BMW UNLESS YOU HAVE GOOD, STEADY CASH FLOW COMING IN!!

[hockeyplayer]

I'll add to what others have said here...if you don't have $2K in the bank for maintenance/tires/repairs/etc then do not buy a BMW.

whatever you decide, good luck & have fun with it

[Delta0311]

I just hope we reached this kid in time.. He was supposed to be buying his car today.

[overheadvalve]

Originally Posted by The0pportunist

Some good comments above who clearly have your best interests at heart.

I'm 26 and i went from a e36 to e46 then finally to e90. When i got the e46 i could have cleared out my account and got a e90 but i chose not to because if it does go wrong i would have had to sell a kidney as the parts are more.

My advice would be get a e46 bro, it will cost you half the money and they are really fun cars to drive and work on. In a couple years time you can move to the newer shapes and get your dream 335..or m3..who knows.

+1 on the E46.

[Longdoggy]

What's your income look like? If your a student and/or have no job and no generous parents don't buy a bmw with all of your 11k.

If you do have income and decent credit, put 10k down on a CPO and just make your payments and drive worry free.

[lichtgelb]

Originally Posted by The0pportunist

Some good comments above who clearly have your best interests at heart.

I'm 26 and i went from a e36 to e46 then finally to e90. When i got the e46 i could have cleared out my account and got a e90 but i chose not to because if it does go wrong i would have had to sell a kidney as the parts are more.

My advice would be get a e46 bro, it will cost you half the money and they are really fun cars to drive and work on. In a couple years time you can move to the newer shapes and get your dream 335..or m3..who knows.

Solid advice here. $11K will get you a nice later model E46 with enough money left to replace the cooling system. The E46 is a very straight forward car to wrench on once you learn all the BMW particulars. The E90 is a big step backwards for the average DIYer unless you have a lot of confidence in your wrenching. If $11K is your budget and you don't plan on doing your own work or budget for maintenance then buy a Toyota.

[bender rodriguez]

lol I never do get why people say buy a Toyota. To me that just shows BMW is crap because you pay more but have problems out the ass.

[kfriceman]

To the OP: Buy your second car first.

-Kevin

[lichtgelb]

Originally Posted by bender rodriguez

lol I never do get why people say buy a Toyota. To me that just shows BMW is crap because you pay more but have problems out the ass.

It's kind of a running joke/meme. I actually think Toyota's are crap and their maintenance costs are high as well. However, if one neglects a semi-expensive repair on a BMW like the ccv it WILL lead to more expensive failures quickly like blown valve cover and oil pan gaskets. That's true with any make/model but more so with any German vehicle.